Agnes Baden-Powell

Agnes Smyth Baden-Powell (16 December 1858 – 2 June 1945) was most noted for her work in establishing the Girl Guides Association with her brother Robert Baden-Powell and authoring its first handbook, How girls can help to build up the empire, published in 1912.

Early life

Agnes' parents were Henrietta Grace nee Smyth, a gifted musician and artist who was the elder daughter of Admiral William Henry Smyth and his wife Annarella and Reverend Professor Baden Powell, Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford from 1827 to 1860, who had been widowed twice previously.. Agnes was the thirteenth of her father's fourteen children and her mother's third daughter, but the elder two had died before Agnes was born. Her brothers were Warington Baden-Powell, George Baden-Powell, Robert Baden-Powell, Frank Baden-Powell, and Baden Baden-Powell.

When Agnes was only two years of age, her father died, leaving his widow with ten children to care for, the youngest only a few months old. To maintain the family connection after his death, Agnes's mother Henrietta added his first name, Baden, to their Powell surname, to be Baden-Powell. The death of Agnes's father left the family under the firm control of her mother, who was determined to instill in her children a desire to succeed.

As an adult

Agnes was an accomplished musician, playing the organ, piano and violin. Her varied interests included natural history and astronomy. She kept bees, birds and butterflies in her home.

In April 1901, Agnes, by then middle-aged, became engaged to Sir William Bisset Berry, the Speaker of the South African parliament, but they did not marry and she remained a spinster for life.